Long ago the Greeks and Romans conceived the idea of the liberal arts and made them the basis of higher education. Today the Department of Classics keeps that classical tradition alive at St. Olaf by offering courses in the languages, literature, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Studying antiquity gives students perspective on their own place in history; it increases their understanding of the past, of the world in which Christianity was born.

Many students satisfy the foreign language requirement with three semesters of Greek or Latin. Greek is especially helpful for pre-seminary and pre-medicine students, Latin for pre-law students. Either language makes a good match with the Great Conversation program.

Every term the Department of Classics offers at least one course that demands no knowledge of Greek or Latin and fulfills general education requirements; among the most popular of these classics courses are Greek and Roman Myth (Classics 241) and the annual Interim in Greece (Classics 251).

Students often combine a major in Greek or Latin with another major. A classical background enriches one’s experiences in college and in later life, while the verbal and analytical skills acquired by learning classical languages are of lasting benefit in whatever career one chooses.

OVERVIEW OF THE MAJORS

Three different majors in classical language are available to St. Olaf students: Greek, Latin, and classics. The classics major combines Greek and Latin and is the most rigorous. All three majors have as their objectives understanding of classical language at an advanced level, skill in translating and analyzing classical literature of different genres, and basic knowledge about classical civilization. Potential Latin teachers may complete a Latin education major. Ancient studies and medieval studies, two interdisciplinary majors overseen by the Department of Classics, are described elsewhere in this catalog.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJORS

Requirements for the Greek Major

Seven courses in Greek, one classics course, and one ancient Greek history course. Students who begin Greek at the 231 level or higher have the option of taking six courses in Greek, one classics course, and one ancient Greek history course.

Requirements for the Latin Major

Seven courses in Latin, one classics course, and one ancient Roman history course. Students who begin Latin at the 231 level or higher have the option of taking six courses in Latin, one classics course, and one ancient Roman history course.

Requirements for the Classics Major

Six courses in Latin or Greek, three courses in the other language, one classics course, and one ancient history course. Students who begin one of the languages at the 231 level or higher have the option of taking five courses in that language, three in the other, one classics course, and one ancient history course.

Requirements for the Latin Major with K-12 Teaching License

Seven courses in Latin, one ancient Roman history course, Education 349, and all other requirements of the K-12 teaching licensure program in Latin. Students who begin Latin at the 231 level or higher have the option of taking six courses in Latin, one ancient Roman history course, and one classics course.

Requirements for the K-8 Specialty in Latin Teaching

Four courses in Latin, one ancient Roman history course, and Education 349. Students who begin Latin at the 231 level or higher have the option of taking three courses in Latin, one ancient Roman history course, and one classics course. Licensure for K-8 Latin teaching can be awarded only by an endorsement onto a full K-6, K-12, 5-12, or 9-12 license in another content area.

DISTINCTION

To attain distinction in classics, a student must demonstrate talent with classical languages and literature, skill in conducting research on a classical topic, and broad knowledge of classical civilization. Specific guidelines are available from the Classics Department. Classics majors who wish to pursue distinction should notify the department chair no later than January 1 of their senior year.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

For more than 30 years St. Olaf students have had the opportunity to spend the month of January in Greece while enrolled in Classics 251 (Classical Studies in Greece), an Interim course focusing on ancient Greek history and art. St. Olaf offers a Latin major with teaching license for students preparing to teach Latin in K-12 schools. Students pursuing a full K-6, K-12, 5-12, or 9-12 license in another content area may earn a K-8 specialty in Latin teaching with an endorsement to their other license. Education 349 is a teaching methods course designed specifically for future Latin instructors. Students may put their Greek or Latin courses to use as the core of an interdisciplinary major in ancient studies or medieval studies.

COURSES

GREEK COURSES

111 Beginning Greek I

In this two-course sequence students learn the basics of ancient Greek. By studying the
language's vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, they not only gain appreciation for its intricacies
and nuances but also learn more about their own language and about language in general.
Completion of both semesters equips students to translate almost any ancient Greek text with
the aid of a dictionary. Offered annually.

112 Beginning Greek II

In this two-course sequence students learn the basics of ancient Greek. By studying the
language's vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, they not only gain appreciation for its intricacies
and nuances but also learn more about their own language and about language in general.
Completion of both semesters equips students to translate almost any ancient Greek text with
the aid of a dictionary. Prerequisite: Greek 111 or equivalent. Offered annually.

231 Intermediate Greek

Third-semester Greek students read selections from Plato's dialogues (Apology, Crito, Phaedo)
in uncut, original versions, reviewing basic vocabulary, grammar, and syntax while translating the
Greek texts. The class discusses the life and death of Socrates and the significance of the
dialogues as works of literature. Prerequisite: Greek 112 or equivalent.

253 New Testament Greek

The New Testament is the most famous and most widely translated Greek text from antiquity.
Students delight in reading one or more of the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, or selected
Pauline letters in the original language. Questions about the transmission of the text and about
its theological implications provoke lively discussions. Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent.
Offered annually.

298 Independent Study

370 Topics in Greek Literature

Students translate selections from one or more genres of Ancient Greek literature while exploring a
specific topic or theme chosen by the instructor. Close study of the text is combined with
discussion of broader literary, historical, and cultural questions. Sample topics: "Famous
Speeches in Ancient Greek Texts," "Praise and Blame in the Greek Poetic Tradition," "Tall Tales
from Homer to Lucian." Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent. Offered every third year.

372 Greek Philosophers

It has been said that all philosophy is a mere footnote to Plato and Aristotle. In this Greek
course students read selected works by the two renowned philosophers and their predecessors,
while examining the forces that influenced them and the impact that Greek philosophy exerted on
subsequent ages. Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent. Offered in alternate years.

373 Greek Historians

Readings from the works of Herodotus, the "Father of History," and Thucydides, the first
"scientific" historian, provide the backdrop for studying the development of Greek historiography.
Students analyze the historians' distinctive methods and writing styles and compare them with
those of modern historians. Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent. Offered in alternate years.

374 Greek Drama

Like the genre that it describes, the word "drama" is itself of Greek origin. From the treasure-
trove left to us by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander, students
translate one or two complete plays and discuss the evolution of the Greek theater, staging, and
modern interpretations. Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent. Offered in alternate years.

375 Homer and the Greek Epic

The primary texts for this course are Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the earliest
recorded literature of Western civilization. Besides translating lengthy passages from one or both
of these remarkable poems, students probe the characteristics of epic poetry and investigate
current topics in Homeric scholarship. Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent.

398 Independent Research

LATIN COURSES

111 Beginning Latin I

In this two-course sequence students learn the basics of classical Latin. By studying the
language's vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, they not only gain appreciation for its intricacies and
nuances but also learn more about their own language and about language in general.
Completion of both semesters equips students to translate almost any classical Latin text with the
aid of a dictionary. Offered annually.

112 Beginning Latin II

In this two-course sequence students learn the basics of classical Latin. By studying the
language's vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, they not only gain appreciation for its intricacies and
nuances but also learn more about their own language and about language in general. Completion
of both semesters equips students to translate almost any classical Latin text with the aid of a
dictionary. Prerequisite: Latin 111 or equivalent. Offered annually.

231 Intermediate Latin

Third-semester Latin students have the opportunity to read large portions of two orations
(First Catilinarian, Pro Caelio) by Cicero and selections from Catullus' poetry, in uncut,
original versions, while reviewing vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Besides translating the Latin
texts, the class discusses late Republican Rome and the stylistic features of the literature.
Prerequisite: Latin 112 or equivalent. Offered annually.

235 Medieval Latin

Latin was spoken in one form or another for more than two thousand years. This course focuses
on authors and texts dating roughly from 300 to 1500 A.D. and emphasizes the role of Latin as
the language of the Church and of the intelligentsia during the Middle Ages. Prerequisite: Latin
231 or equivalent. Offered in alternate years.

252 Vergil and the Latin Epic

Lord Tennyson called Vergil the "wielder of the stateliest measure ever moulded by the lips of
man." Students encounter that stately measure when they translate selections from Vergil's three
major poems (Eclogues, Georgics, Aeneid). They also engage in spirited discussion of
Homer's influence on Vergil and of Vergil's influence on the literature, art, and music of Western
civilization. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent. Offered in alternate years.

298 Independent Study

370 Topics in Latin Literature

Students translate selections from one or more genres of ancient Latin literature while exploring a
specific topic or theme chosen by the instructor. Close study of the text is combined with
discussion of broader literary, historical, and cultural questions. Sample topics: "Greek Myths
Transformed in Latin Poetry," "Ancient Biographies of the Roman Emperors," "Latin Epistolography,"
"Augustan Elegy." Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent. Offered every third year.

371 Latin Lyric Poetry

Lyric poems -- short, occasional pieces composed in various meters, often concerned with love
and longing -- are the focus of this Latin course. Students read the vivacious verse of Catullus,
Horace, Tibullus, and Ovid and learn to recognize the features that make lyric a distinctive genre
of Latin poetry. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent. Offered every third year.

372 Roman Historians

The writings of Sallust, Livy, and Tacitus provide breathtaking views of ancient Rome and
memorable vignettes from the city's colorful history. Extended passages from the historians' works
form the core of readings for a survey of Roman historiography and of historical writing in
general. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent. Offered every third year.

373 Lucretius and Latin Poetry

Lucretius might best be described as a philosophical poet. His De Rerum Natura ("On the
Nature of the Universe") presents the theories and teachings of Greek philosophers like Democritus
and Epicurus, but with a Roman flavor. Students translate substantial sections of this fascinating
poem. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent. Offered every third year.

374 Cicero and Latin Prose

Rome's greatest orator, Cicero, was also its greatest prose stylist and the author most responsible
for supplying Latin with philosophical vocabulary. Selections from his philosophical, rhetorical,
and oratorical works show the range of his talents and help demonstrate the development of Latin
prose style. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent. Offered every third year.

375 Roman Drama

Strange things happened on the ancient Roman stage; this course gives students firsthand proof
of that. The comedies of Plautus and Terence and the tragedies of Seneca make entertaining
reading. Students in the course also discuss the evolution of the Roman theater, staging, and
modern interpretations. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent. Offered every third year.

377 Latin Satire

The Romans claimed that satire was a literary genre of their own creation. Students are able to
weigh the merits of that claim as they read selections from the wry and witty poems of prominent
Roman satirists such as Horace, Petronius, Martial, and Juvenal. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or
equivalent. Offered every third year.

398 Independent Research

CLASSICS COURSES IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

126 Ancient Comedy: A Funny Thing Happened

This course introduces students to the wild and wacky world of ancient Greek and Roman
comedy. It traces the development of the genre with discussion of how the plays were produced
in antiquity and what influence they exerted on the drama of later centuries. Students read
works by Aristophanes, Menander, Plautus, and Terence and stage selected scenes.
Offered periodically during Interim.

128 The Fall of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity

This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the roughly 300-year period of Western
European history from the Fall of the Roman Empire to the establishment of the 6th-century
Christian Germanic kingdoms. Using primary sources, archaeological evidence, and remains of art
and architecture, students investigate the collapse of Roman authority and the rise of the
Christian Church, gaining insight into an age of great transition and change. Offered
periodically during Interim.

129 The Neverending Myth: Ovid's Metamorphoses

Ovid was the most witty and popular Roman poet of his time, and his 12,000-line Metamorphoses
has influenced more European literature and art than any other classical Latin text. By analyzing
two modern English translations and studying other poems, stories, and artwork based on the
Metamorphoses, students gain an understanding of the nature of Ovid's storytelling and the
power that it has exerted on our cultural tradition. No knowledge of Latin required. Offered
periodically during Interim.

241 Greek and Roman Myth

For the Greeks and Romans myth was a cultural reality, just as it is for us. Students in this
course read the famous tales told by the poets Homer, Hesiod, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides,
Vergil, and Ovid, and ponder the deeper truths contained in their works of fiction. The class also
explores the use of classical myth in later literature and its manifestations in art, music, and
drama from ancient to modern times. Offered annually.

243 The Golden Age of Greece

Students journey back to the 5th century B.C., as the Athenians emerge triumphant from the
Persian Wars and develop the "Golden Age" of Greece. Studying the history, literature and art of
ancient Athens helps students understand the uniqueness of that city-state and its lasting
contributions to Western civilization. Offered in alternate years.

244 The Golden Age of Rome

What made the last years of the Roman Republic and the early years of the Roman Empire
"golden"? Students learn the answer by reading some of the finest Latin literature
ever written, from epic to satire. They also do research with source materials to gain
understanding about the society that produced such talented authors. The course emphasizes the
many ways in which ancient Rome has influenced and continues to influence Western culture.
Offered in alternate years.

251 Classical Studies in Greece (abroad)

This course introduces students to the history and art of ancient Greece, from the Bronze Age
through the archaic, classical and Hellenistic periods. Students visit every major region of
Greece, with extended stays in Athens, Heraklion, and Thessaloniki. When not visiting museums
and archaeological sites and learning about ancient Greek civilization, students experience
modern Greek culture. Offered annually during Interim.

294 Internship

298 Independent Study

394 Internship

396 Directed Undergraduate Research: "Topic Description"

This course provides a comprehensive research opportunity, including an introduction to relevant
background material, technical instruction, identification of a meaningful project, and data
collection. The topic is determined by the faculty member in charge of the course and may
relate to his/her research interests. Prerequisite: Determined by individual instructor. Offer
based on department decision.